Top 5 Healthy Foods to Have in Your Kitchen

A well-stocked kitchen helps to create the foundation for a healthy diet. Keeping a variety of healthy foods around helps us establish a nutritious eating pattern composed mostly of balanced meals and snacks. Eating a more nutritious diet filled with various healthy foods is a simple way to optimize our health and prevent chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

These 5 foods are rich in various nutrients and promote immune health, heart health, and gut health.

They can even help you drop a few pounds if that's your goal. Including these tasty, satisfying staples can supercharge your health.

Blueberries

These tasty blue gems are among the healthiest fruits. Not only do they taste great, but they’re also packed with nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, and manganese. These berries are also relatively low in calories. Blueberries contain one of the highest sources of antioxidants of all fruits and are rich in flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins, which contribute to many of this berry’s beneficial health properties.

Studies indicate that blueberries may protect against aging and cancer by neutralizing free radicals that can damage our cells. They may also help prevent heart disease, diabetes and help to maintain brain function while delaying a decline in cognitive function. Because they’re tasty and colorful, I love to add blueberries to yogurt, smoothies, and salads.

You can enjoy fresh and frozen varieties. While I’m a blueberry superfan, all berries are healthy. Blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries are rich in nutrients and antioxidants and can also be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.

Oats

Oats are a good source of soluble fiber and contain beta-glucans, which help lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels. They also contain insoluble fiber, which prevents constipation, promotes regular bowel movements, and may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Oats are also a gluten-free whole grain, perfect for those with digestive issues. They are rich in potassium, magnesium, manganese, and several B vitamins.

Oats are very versatile and can be eaten in a variety of ways. One of the most popular ways to eat oats is for breakfast as oatmeal, made by boiling oats in water or milk. Oatmeal is a more nutritious breakfast option than granola and many other breakfast bowls of cereal, which tend to be higher in added sugar.

Another popular breakfast option with oats is overnight oats. This is a no-cook method of soaking oats overnight with liquid (milk or water) and mix-ins like nuts, seeds, and fruit. When you wake up, you have a pudding-like porridge, perfect for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.

Here’s a favorite overnight oats recipe from my book “Finally Full, Finally Slim.” To make my peanut butter berry overnight oats, add the following ingredients to a mason jar and soak overnight:

1 cup of blueberries or strawberries.1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds. ½ cup whole-grain oats. ¾ cup fat-free milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. 2 teaspoons peanut butter. ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Cinnamon to taste. No need to fear gaining weight from oats and other whole grains. Studies indicate that whole grains may help you lose weight by making you feel fuller and reducing your appetite.

Pistachios

Pistachios, like other nuts, are nutritious and satisfying thanks to a combination of healthy unsaturated fat, fiber, and protein content. In addition to being delicious, pistachios come with a slew of health benefits. These little green nuts may promote a healthy gut, lower cholesterol levels and be protective against Type 2 diabetes.

The key to enjoying nuts healthfully is practicing portion control. The recommended 1-ounce serving of nuts is approximately 1/4 cup. Pistachios are one of the lower-calorie nuts, containing 160 calories per serving.

Greek yogurt

I always keep Greek yogurt in my refrigerator. It’s creamy and delicious and high in protein, which helps keep you full for hours. It contains the mineral calcium necessary for bone health and for preventing high blood pressure. It also contains probiotics – good bacteria with many health benefits, promoting immune health and aiding indigestion.

Bok choy

This Chinese cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable and member of the brassica family, along with broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. It’s high in the antioxidant vitamins A and C and contains potassium, iron, and folate. It’s a nutrition superstar and may help to reduce your risk for chronic diseases. It is also perfect for weight loss due to its fiber content and low-calorie count, with just 20 calories per one cup cooked.

Bok choy is one of the healthiest foods for your bones as it is rich in vitamin K, calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium – all nutrients that are essential for maintaining bone health. It may also reduce your risk for cancer. This study found that eating cruciferous vegetables regularly was associated with a lower risk of several cancers than rarely eating these vegetables.